MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Milwaukee Brewers broke a 33-year-old franchise record for stolen bases in a game Sunday.
And they needed only four innings to do it.
Milwaukee stole nine bases through the first four innings of its game with the Athletics. The Brewers had stolen eight bases in a 7-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 29, 1992.
Six of those steals came in the first inning. Elias Sports Bureau said that represents the most stolen bases by any team in a single inning since at least 1961, which is as far Elias’ data goes on that subject.
A team has stolen five bases in an inning 13 times since 1961. The most recent example came on April 19, 2016, when the Cincinnati Reds did it against Colorado.
Sportradar said the Brewers were the first team to steal six bases in an inning since way back on Aug. 26, 1919, when the New York Giants had six steals in the third inning of the first game of a doubleheader with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Brewers broke their franchise single-game record in the fourth inning when Caleb Durbin got his first career stolen base, two days after making his major league debut.
Durbin was initially called out at second, but a replay review determined he was safe. Durbin later scored to extend Milwaukee’s lead to 8-0.
No Brewer got caught stealing until the fifth, when Shea Langeliers threw Sal Frelick out at second.
Brice Turang stole three bases through the first four innings. Frelick had two steals. Christian Yelich, William Contreras, Rhys Hoskins and Caleb Durbin stole one base each.
Milwaukee’s six first-inning steals included a pair of double steals. The Brewers scored four runs in that first inning by capitalizing on two hits, the six steals, a balk from Jeffrey Springs and two throwing errors by Langeliers to score four runs.
On the Langeliers’ throw to third went into left field, enabling Turang to score and Yelich to reach third. Contreras and Hoskins executed the second double-steal of the inning. Frelick walked later in the first inning and took off for second as Langeliers’ throw went into center field. That error allowed Hoskins to score from third, though Frelick tried advancing to third on the play and got thrown out by center fielder JJ Bleday.
In the second inning, Turang drew a two-out walk and swiped second for his third steal of the day. Turang then was taking off for third again, but Jackson Chourio swung on the pitch and brought him home with a
Frelick stole second in the third inning.
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